The Pure Uncut.

October 23, 2013

My Name Is My Name.

Even though I live in the DC area, I am not a Washington Redskins fan. Actually, I’m probably more indifferent than less of a fan, since the Redskins haven’t done anything to me personally; they’re just not my team. On top of that, with the exception of last season, it’s not like the Redskins have had much success in recent history. Even when they were a playoff team, they were usually one and done.Do you notice the theme here?

So, what is a non-fan doing writing about the Redskins? Glad you asked. Well, unless you’ve been living under one of Tiffany Foxx’s cheeks, I’m sure you are aware of the controversy surrounding the name, Redskins. You see, there are some battles that are worth fighting, and dying for even. Martyrdom is reserved for those who believe in their cause wholeheartedly with mind, body, and soul, and death is only a means to draw attention to said cause. Of course, there are some battles that aren’t worth fighting because no one cares, Lil’ Kim vs. Foxy Brown (for who’s the bigger hoe on wax); dumb as sh*t Baby vs. Jay-Z, (who has more money); and Rick Ross vs. dieting, (down right senseless). Dan Snyder, the owner of the Washington Redskins, and his adamant refusal to change the Redskins’ name falls into the latter.

While I admire anyone for standing behind their principles, I can’t for the life of me understand why Dan Snyder would IMO rather die than change the name. It’s not like the name change is going to affect him personally. I understand that pride is a hell of a drug and, that’s probably all that is going for him. He’s not well liked and in true, arrogant billionaire fashion, he thinks his money is the answer to everything. In the past, Snyder has run his team like a business acquisition by throwing money at any big name available. This was with the hope that the player would sign with the Redskins hoping to buy a title. So, if ego is the reason why he won’t budge, then he’ll probably die an old, lonely man.

So, why the reluctance? In a letter that Snyder wrote to Redskins’ fans on the team’s website, it stated in a nutshell that he respects the feelings of those who are offended by the team name, but the name will remain the same. This is simply an example of white privilege for those who have never been on the receiving end of taunts or racist name calling, and can’t possibly understand why the Redskins’ name is so offensive. Since Snyder is of Jewish descent, I wonder if he would feel differently if the team was called the Washington Jews, the Washington Accountants or the Washington Penny Pinchers? Dan Snyder can throw out as many stats as he wants to support his decision for not changing the name, but it’s easy to quote numbers when they don’t directly affect you, again white privilege.

Dan Snyder even goes on to speak about the team’s tradition started by one of its earlier owners, George Preston Marshall; and let’s set the record straight, that he was a known racist who had no problem in letting you know. Of course, Snyder neglected to mention that in his letter. So this begs the question, that if this is a part of the team’s history, then why hold on to it?

At this point, Snyder is on the losing end of public opinion, and since perception is reality, there are a lot of people who think he is a stubborn bigot for refusing to change the name; this is the general consensus, accurate or not. Even President Obama supports the name change. In a world where everything is becoming so PC, can a billionaire businessman really afford to appear to go against the grain?

What do you think? Do you think the Washington Redskins’ name is racist? Is it even that serious?

red·skin (rdskn)
n. Offensive Slang
Used as a disparaging term for a Native American.

from the American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language

Well….according to the dictionary, yes..it is racist. my thing is, what has taken people so long to raise hell about this? i guess they aren’t the right color for the usual civil rights folks to get involved.